US Senator, Menendez, Condemns Sowore’s Rearrest, Promises High Level Intervention

A United States Senator from New Jersey, Bob Menendez has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari over the fresh arrest of the convener of RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore.

The US senator said the controversial arrest of the activist is “unacceptable in a country that calls itself a democracy”.

Menendez said the harassment by the state security agents is becoming symptomatic of the increasingly closing political and civic space in Nigeria.

He said, “I am outraged by the blatant harassment of Omoyele Sowore, an activist and journalist whose only crime appears to be exercising his right to free expression.“

Senator Bob Menendez, a ranking member of the United States Senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, has condemned the rearrest of rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, on Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

"U.S Is Watching; The World Is Watching; This Is Unacceptable!" US @SenatorMenendez Condemns Buhari On Sowore's Re-Arrest pic.twitter.com/fcgbmKczXy

— Adeola Fayehun (@AdeolaFayehun) December 7, 2019

He said, “The United States is watching and the world is watching. I fear that the DSS harassment on Mr Sowore, an activist and journalist, whose only crime appears to be exercising his rights to free expression is becoming symptomatic of the increasingly closing political and civic space in Nigeria.

“The Nigerian court has twice ordered his release on bail and the state security agencies openly defied the court order each time leading me to conclude either that Nigeria no longer respects the rule of law or President Buhari is woefully out of touch with what the agencies of his government are doing in his name. This is unacceptable in a country that calls itself a democracy”.

Following Sowore’s release on Thursday, December 5, 2019, after 125 days in detention, the DSS stormed the premises of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday, December 6, 2019, to re-arrest the activist.

In a video interview with CNN on Friday, the dejected mother said she can’t eat, adding that the issue is now affecting her health.

She said, ‘What shall I do again? So, they are not yet ready to release him. Who are (those) doing all this work? So, he’s with them in detention again. What did they see again that they have not seen before? I can not eat, I can not sleep. It affected my health. It has been four months. I plead to Buhari in the name of Allah to release my son”.

Sowore was arrested on Saturday, August 3, 2019, over his planned protest tagged #RevolutionNow.